Plastic composition



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AN'ION L. V. NILSSON, OF TULAROSA, NEW MEXICO.

PLASTIC COMPOSITION.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTON L. V. NILSSON, a citizen of the United States, residin at Tularosa, in the county of Otero and S tate of New Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Plastic Compositions; and I- do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable otheh's skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to plastic compositions, and it relates more particularly to an improved plastic building element and the process of making the same.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide an improved composition which is suitable and highly valuable for the making of building elements such as, bricks,

blocks, posts, shingles, chimney tops, door frames, window frames, partition walls, and bars such as sills, caps and railroad ties, etc.

Another object is to provide an improved building element of this character which can be produced and transported at a very slicrht cost.

inother object is to provide an improved building element which 1i ll permit nails and screws to be driven thereiift'ofwi'thofit tic causing the element to crack or break, and which will tightly hold the nails or other fastening means, thus being a competent substitute for wood; Another object is to provide an improved 85 composition or building element which is thoroughly fireproof and water-proof;

Another object is to provide an improved building element which is very light in comparison to other plastic materials,

Another object is to provide an improved lguildipg element which is very strong and unable;

Another object is to rovide an improved building element of t is character which 4 has a beautiful glossy surface;

Another object is to provide an improved plastic material which sets or solidifies very quickly and easily throughout, so as to form a building element which is free from crack and distortions;

"Another object is to provide an improved building element, the making of which is very simple and easy and the process requires no highly expensive material and can 56 be carried out by any person of ordinary ability. 1

Specification of Letters Patent. Pate t d J 22 1 Application filed June 24, 1918.

Serial No. 241,641. v p, Other objects and advantiiges maybecome apparent to personswho read the following details of description and the appended claims. My composition may consist of the following ingredients which are combined in the following proportions by volume:

Volcanic s1 ({calcined) 70 parts rs@ie -e and screened 12 parts,

Portland cement 7 parts.

u verlz alum 0% Alfalfa meal 0% Finely divided wood (shavings or saw dust) 10 parts 100 parts.

I may also use tallow and kerosene in the proportion of one pound of tallow to one gallon of kerosene, and this separate mixture is used for coating the inner surface of a mold in which the building blocks or other elements are to be molded from the composition first above tabulated.

The process of forming the building elements, when all the above ingredients'are used, is as follows:

I first crush the lava or rock which has been formed by volcanic action. and screen the crushed rock through a screen having openings ranging from l/QOth to l/8th inch; I'then mix the volcanic ash crushed and screened rock, P0

rtland cement, alum and hneiy divided wood while these elements are dry; I next mix this product with a sufiicient quantity of water to form a semiliquid substance abofitfi econsistency of thick cream; in addition to the foregoing mixture, I add the alfalfa meal, as a ret-arder, to retard the drying of the composition, oifly in case the building element is to be used for interior structure; this semiliquid substance is now poured into a mold which has been preferably treated with a mixture of tallow and kerosene; and the whole mass is now subjected to heat sufiicient to melt or liquefy the film of tallow and kerosene, while the poured mixture is setting or solidifying. As the poured mass becomes solid, the liquefied film penetrates the outersurface' thereof and adheres to the particles which compose the outer surface, and also fills the interstices between the particles at and adjacent to the outer surface.

'In the combination of the ingredients first tabulated, the volcanic ash and water form bindin the crushed rock or finely divided wood or both to form a solid mass or monolit The Portland cement merely assists the volcanic ash in binding the rock and wood, and rendering the mass more compact and more nearly water-proof by filling the small interstices between the particles of wood,

'rock and ash; and the wood renders the penetrable by nails -etc.; the alum facilitates the quick setting and hardening of the building element; and the fatty material composed of the tallow and kerosene not only renders the building element waterproof, but provides a beautiful glossy surface or outer facing of the building element.

The volcanic ash which forms approximately per cent. of this composition or building element, is found in enormous quantities in portions of New Mexico, and experience has flproven that this substance'is very highly e cient as an element of the composition contemplated in this invention; also that this volcanic ash is obtainable from the earths surface without the necessity of mining tools or other equipment; and that it is comparatively light. Therefore, the plastic material which com rises this natural depos't is capable of eing manufactured at a very low cost. Moreover, the addition of wood renders the finished substance very light in comparison with other plasticsubstances, and. nails and other fastening means readily penetrate this building element withoutlcraclnng or otherwise in uring the same.

The yolcanic lava is also found in large quantities adjacent or contiguous to the deposit of volcanic ash; and it has been found y analysis that this rock contains iron,

silica and aluminum; also that this volcanic lava readily combines with the other ingredients named, giving the blocks a degree of hardness commensurate with the progortion of lava employed in the mixture.

e'fore mlxmg the vo canic ash with the other ingredients, the said volcanic ash should be calcined to just the proper degree for giving the best results, according to whether it. is desirable to have the mixture set quickly or somewhat slowly.

It is not always essential that l1 of the above named ingredients be used in order to obtain a useful composition or monolith, for the calcined volcanic ash has sufficient and setting qualities to combine with a um, crushed roc water and fatty material independently of the Portland ce ment or other binding material.

" One verymportant feature of this procbest advantage in the sunshine, t

. kerosene, and

the heat of the sun, in contradistinction to other processes which require that the buildin elements be kept in the shade and repeate lyr moistened during the curing process.

of buildings or other means for sheltering the building elements, and also enables the process to be carried out to the best advantage in a region where sunshine and volcanic ash and volcanic lava are exceedingly bountiful. The portion of New Mexico above referred to, viz. the region adjacent to Tularosa, New Mexico, is such a region, and therefore, these building elements may be produced at the minimum tions in which the ingredients may be combined, it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to these exact proportions. It is also to be understood that when the process is employed for the formation of shingles and other thin members or elements, the fatty substance may penetrate the entire body from surface to center, and therefore, the said fatty substance (which may be tallow and kerosene), may properly be considered an element or elements 0 this-com osition.

What claim as my invention is:

1. The plastic composition which comprises calcined volcanic ash, crushed rock, water alum and fatty material.

2. he plastic composition which comprises calcined volcanic ash, Portland cement water, alum and fatty material.

3. The plastic composition which comprises calcined volcanic ash, crushed volcanic lava, Portland cement, water, and retardii igl material. 4. e plastic composition which comprises calcined volcanic ash, crushed rock, water and finely divided wood.

5. The lastic composition which compgises calcined volcanic ash, crushed rock, ely divided wood, water, fatty material, alum. 6. The plastic composition which comprises calcined volcanic ash, crushed vol- .canic lava, Portland cement, alnm, water, retarding material, tallow and oil.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ANTON L. V. NILSSON. 

